Foreword
While we have a great What belongs in this forum? topic, most people skip it because the title smells of rules and what you shouldn’t do. I want to provide an alternative that helps newcomers and casual observers ask better, and relevant questions.
Definitions
Definitions are tricky things, especially in games - our field is special because in some ways, it resists academic analysis. However, in this topic, I’m not talking about games…I’m talking about questions you ask about games.
Definition #1: Design
Design refers to the objective, and high-level consequences, of your creation.
Examples:
John Doe: “I have a JRPG set in Ancient Rome; should my battle system be turn-based, or active-time, and why?”
Meralda Potter: “I have a puzzle game where you try to fill lines of blocks, but I don’t feel my game is engaging enough. Would achievements and quests make my game more interesting, or should I try something else instead?”
Why are those Design Questions?
In both of these questions, the two fictional people have a project that they’re working on, but they’re not sure of how something would impact the player.
The first case has Mr. Doe working on a JRPG that he’s not sure how the turns should work. There’s all sorts of arguments to be made, both ways; that’s not the point. The point is, Mr. Doe wants insight on why one turn mechanic would help is Roman-era JRPG more than the other (or, any other possibilities.)
The second case has Mrs. Potter working on a puzzle game (aside: if you’re a newcomer, this is a much better place to start than a JRPG), but she feels the outcome of her game will not interesting enough. She suggests achievements or quests as a possible means of making the game more interesting, but ultimately the question boils down to: ‘What will make my game more interesting?’
TL;DR Design deals with ideals, and high-level consequences. Design is why your game works.
Definition #2: Implementation
Implementation refers to how you take an ideal, and realize it.
Examples:
John Doe: “I have a JRPG set in ancient Rome; how do I write an active-time battle system?”
Meralda Potter: “I have a puzzle game where you try to fill lines with blocks; how do I implement a basic achievement system?”
Why Are These Implementation Questions?
Simply put, you’re asking how to take an idea (Active Time Battles, Achievements) and actually make them a real, functioning system in your prototype or game. “How do I” is the earmark of such a question, and all of its variants, like “Can someone tell me how to…”
TL;DR: Implementation is how you make things real.
Conclusion
I hope that helps people who want to post consider where their question should go. Design questions - Why do X? What will improve my project? - are totally good for this subforum, and are why we’re here. If your question can be asked in this way, do post it.
If it’s a “How do I?” question, you’re not out of luck; instead you’ll probably want another forum, like Scripting for code problems, or Graphics for general graphics questions. You’ll be able to ask your implementation question, and probably get an answer reasonably quickly that will let you resume work.
Finally, there is a grey area between design and implementation. The two do partially go hand-in-hand. If in doubt, consider both of the phrasings provided here. If your question sounds better as ‘why would I…’, post it, please! If your question sounds better as, ‘how do I…’, you’ll get much better, and quicker, results by finding the correct place to ask it.
Once again, I hope this helps.
